Canvasbacks for Nick Ronning

They sure are some handsome birds. I guess we always admire and wish for what we don't have but if I were to shoot a big ol' bull can I would have to find a taxidermist.
 
Keith,
Excellent work. Perhaps my favorite would be the Crowell. Clean clean lines, very smooth.Thanks for posting.
 
Keith,
Your timing is impeccable. Thanks for posting these. Kyle and I are in the process of painting a couple of these right now along with a couple greenwings and wigeon. The contemporary one really catches my eye.
 
Keith I was curious of how strong the wing tips are on the preener and what do you do to strengthen them so the don't break while transported
 
Awesome pics & decoys, Keith !

Thanks for indulging me ... I have a mild obsession with blackducks and canvasbacks and being the dead of winter, it'll be a while before I get the chance to see any live ones.

Thanks again,

NR
 
Thank you everyone, I appreciate your comments.....you are all correct, canvasbacks are a magnificent watrerfowl species, absolutely beautiful.

Joe, I am going to duscuss your question further when I post the painting demo of this bird. The bird was carved from tupelo, and hollow. The added wing tips were carved from a very strong wood that I collect in Costa Rica......called bulletwood (aka Manilkara bidentata). It is one of the hardest and strongest wood species in the world....hard as ebony but stronger (ebony is brittle - where bullet wood is not). The seperate wing tips were then affixed in place with two each 5mm brass pins and then west system epoxied in place. I have included a demo for this procedure in my book.The name "bullet wood" was given to M. bidentata because if you shot the tree, (it was told to me by a Costa Rican friend) the bullet would only penetrate the bark, not the wood. This wood along with a few others in the rainforests like almendro (Dipteryx panamensis) were always the last trees to be cut as they had the reputation for destroying axes, and later chain saws.

Although the wood is incredibly strong, and secured in place with brass rods, care is still needed with the decoy. Although a true gunner, the decoy must be handled with reasonable care.

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